From the MailBag: “How to Deal with Roommate Conflicts”

December 4, 2014 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Welcome back to the MailBag, everyone. A couple of weeks ago, we dove into our very first advice topic and helped one reader with her question about “when to begin an out-of-state apartment search.” Today, we are taking a different route — we’re addressing several issues and many readers at once. Here’s why: Since My…

20 Questions to Ask a New Roomie

February 17, 2014 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Whether you’ve been friends forever, met via the Internet, or have even lived together in the past, it’s important to establish some mutual understandings with your new roommate before officially moving in together. A fun game of 20 questions can only make things better before signing a lease. Are we all paying the same amount…

Roommate Gift Giving Alternatives

December 12, 2013 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Gift exchange season is upon us, as is the impending doom of shopping for everyone on your holiday list while also managing to pay rent. And let’s hope your lease isn’t up at the end of the year too… Sharing presents with roommates can be a fun group activity or a potential disaster. If you…

7 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Party with the Roomies

December 6, 2013 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Apartment parties are fun—you get to decide the guestlist, menu, playlist, décor– but can also be a bit stressful, especially when you have to make executive decisions with other members of your household. If you’re planning to host a crowd over the holidays or on on December 31, you want your event to be pretty…

Learning to Live with Three Roommates

October 11, 2013 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

When I was younger, I was never allowed to have play dates with three girls, which my mom believed to be the toughest number. Two would always gang up against one, and someone would feel left out. Luckily, my best friends were twins, so I learned how to deal with this apparently awful number. In…

The Roommate Market: There’s A Wide Variety of Shared Living Options

June 12, 2013 | By Sabrina AuthorMy First Apartment

Are you new in town? Do you need to move, but want to split the rent bill? Did you just get married? Guess what? The roommate market is in high demand and there’s a wide range of shared living options as a result. Here’s a snapshot of what you may find. The Traditional Shared Apartment…

Movie Night Extravaganzas for All Roommate Situations

March 14, 2013 | By Sabrina AuthorMy First Apartment

Everyone loves movies! The best way to become a family with your fellow roommates is to host a movie night with a great visual experience and complimentary food. But to guarantee success you’ve got to pick a movie that takes into account your shared living situation. Let’s explore possible film party ideas for different types of roommate houses.…

How to Make Your Roommates Clean When It’s Their Turn

April 13, 2012 | By Katherine AuthorMy First Apartment

This post is for all my people out there who have ever taken out the trash AGGRESSIVELY! This is for you, you poor souls who fight with every fiber of your being not to turn into your mother and just clean up after your living companion. When you move in with someone there are a…

The Politics of Food Sharing Among Housemates

January 7, 2012 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

Many a friendship has soured from the overstepping of bounds when one assumes the generosity of a housemate and “borrows” a snack from the fridge. Living with other people has many advantages; cheaper rent, cheaper utilities, and a potentially lower food expense. That said, if the housemates don’t clearly lay out from the start what…